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Tuesday, June 13, 2017

LTC Grossman is an icon in the self defense community. His two seminal works on the psychology of killing, On Killing and On Combat are without a doubt historic. They have even spawned an entire subculture of self described "sheepdogs" due to his oft repeated analogy.

"If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen: a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath—a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? Then you are a sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero’s path. "

However I am going to differ with the good LTC on some of his EDC choices.

1. Emerson Folder-I am not a huge knife expert however I do have some opinions based on my own experience and advice from those I know that are experts in this field. Having a strong side folding knife as your EDC might not be the best choice. It would be more preferable to have a fixed blade on the weakside as your "stabby stabby tool." Ease of employment,ease of access, and efficiency are considerations. If you are constrained to carrying a folder then a wave feature or ziptie may aid in rapid opening and deployment.

2. 1911 style handgun in .45- This is probably a very emotional topic for some and I will not revisit the whole .45 vs 9mm debate here. Suffice to say however that I and many others have written extensively about the lack of efficiency of the DA/SA platform and the efficiencies of the 9mm round for self defense. If our goal is to stop the threat and not count on luck then we need to put as many holes in the combat accurate area as we can, as quickly as possible. To do that a modern striker fired handgun in 9mm carried on the strong side hip or appendix carry is the way to go. Off body carry in a fanny pack is a liability.

3.TQ and Quikclot- I will come right out and say it. The SWAT TQ is a poor choice. TQ need to compress flesh and blood vessels to bone to get the amount of occlusion necessary to stop the bleeding. LTC Grossman's quick demonstration of how to apply the SWAT TQ is not indicative of actual application. In my experience the SWAT is not as easy to apply as advertised and does not occlude sufficiently to be a primary TQ. Don't believe me then check out this study from the Naval Medical Research Unit San Antonio. His statement that it is better used on K9's and children may have some validity but I would argue if the limb is too small for a CAT or SOFT-W TQ then you should go straight to a pressure dressing. Which is what I carry a SWAT for anyway. Quikclot is a proven performer.

4. Flashlight- No argument there you need to carry one. Make it a good sturdy model with plenty of lumens. It can be used for its intended purpose or as a striking implement.

5. OC Spray- Again not an expert but having less lethal options is a solid piece of advice. If you are going to carry OC spray know how to use it and its effects. Also realize it is not a man stopper and people can definitely continue to function after getting a face full.